Electronic device package and fabrication method thereof

ABSTRACT

A chip package is disclosed. The package includes a carrier substrate, at least two semiconductor chips, a fill material layer, a protective layer, and a plurality of conductive bumps. The carrier substrate includes a grounding region. The semiconductor chips are disposed overlying the grounding region of the carrier substrate. Each semiconductor chip includes at least one signal pad and includes at least one grounding pad electrically connected to the grounding region. The fill material layer is formed overlying the carrier substrate and covers the semiconductor chips. The protective layer covers the fill material layer. The plurality of conductive bumps is disposed overlying the protective layer and is electrically connected to the semiconductor chips. A fabrication method of the chip package is also disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/302,998, filed Feb. 10, 2010, the entirety of which is incorporatedby reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an electronic package and more particularly toa chip package with multiple chips and a fabrication method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

As demand for electronic or optoelectronic products, such as digitalcameras, camera phones, bar code readers, and monitors, increase,semiconductor technology for products made therefrom must developrapidly, as product trends require miniaturization of the semiconductorchip size and increased and complex functionality of the semiconductorchip.

Therefore, more than one semiconductor chip is typically placed in asealed package, due to performance demands, for operational stability.However, since more input/output conductive pads are required formultiple semiconductor chips compared to a single semiconductor chip,the semiconductor packaging process is made more difficult, thusreducing manufacturing yields.

Accordingly, there is a need to develop a novel package structurewithout the above problems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of a chip package comprises a carrier substrate, at leasttwo semiconductor chips, a fill material layer, a protective layer, anda plurality of conductive bumps. The carrier substrate comprises agrounding region. The semiconductor chips are disposed overlying thegrounding region of the carrier substrate. Each semiconductor chipcomprises at least one signal pad and comprises at least one groundingpad electrically connected to the grounding region. The fill materiallayer is formed overlying the carrier substrate and covers thesemiconductor chips. The protective layer covers the fill materiallayer. The plurality of conductive bumps is disposed overlying theprotective layer and is electrically connected to the semiconductorchips.

A method for fabricating a chip package comprises providing at least twosemiconductor chips, overlying a carrier substrate. The carriersubstrate comprises a grounding region, and each semiconductor chipcomprises at least one signal pad and at least one grounding pad. Thegrounding pad of each semiconductor chip is electrically connected tothe grounding region. A fill material layer is formed overlying thecarrier substrate to cover the semiconductor chips. The fill materiallayer is covered with a protective layer. A plurality of conductivebumps is formed overlying the protective layer and is electricallyconnected to the semiconductor chips.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequentdetailed description and examples with references made to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 to 6 are cross sections of various exemplary embodiments of achip package according to the invention;

FIGS. 7A to 7D are cross sections of an exemplary embodiment of a methodfor fabricating a chip package according to the invention; and

FIGS. 8A to 8D are cross sections of another exemplary embodiment of amethod for fabricating a chip package according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The following description encompasses the fabrication and the purpose ofthe invention. It can be understood that this description is providedfor the purpose of illustrating the fabrication and the use of theinvention and should not be taken in a limited sense. In the drawings ordisclosure, the same or similar elements are represented or labeled bythe same or similar symbols. Moreover, the shapes or thicknesses of theelements shown in the drawings may be magnified for simplicity andconvenience. Additionally, the elements not shown or described in thedrawings or disclosure are common elements which are well known in theart.

Referring to FIG. 1, which is a cross section of an exemplary embodimentof a chip package according to the invention. In the embodiments, thechip package may be applied to various electronic components includingactive or passive elements, digital or analog integrated circuits, suchas optoelectronic devices, micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS),micro fluidic systems, and physical sensors for detecting physicalcharacteristics such as detecting heat, light, or pressure. Inparticular, a wafer level package (WLP) process may be performed topackage semiconductor chips which include image sensor devices,light-emitting diodes (LEDs), solar cells, RF circuits, accelerators,gyroscopes, micro actuators, surface acoustic wave devices, pressuresensors, and ink printer heads.

A wafer level package process involving electronic devices is firstpackaged at the wafer level and then diced into individual packages.However, in a specific embodiment, separate semiconductor chips may be,for example, redistributed on a carrier wafer for a subsequent packagingprocess, which may be called a wafer level package process. In addition,a stacking process may also be used in the wafer level package processmentioned above to stack a plurality of wafers having integratedcircuits to form electronic device packages of multi-layered integratedcircuit devices.

The chip package comprises a carrier substrate 100, such as a rawsilicon wafer or other semiconductor substrates without circuits, whichcan be used for the placement of the semiconductor chips. The carriersubstrate 100 comprises a grounding region 10. In the embodiment, thecarrier substrate 100 is a silicon substrate and the grounding region 10is a doping region formed therein and extended to a surface of thesilicon substrate. In another embodiment, the doping region can beextended to the entire silicon substrate. Additionally, the groundingregion 10 of the carrier substrate 100 may also be used for heatdissipation.

At least two semiconductor chips 201 and 202 are respectively disposedoverlying the grounding region 10 of the carrier substrate 100 throughconductive adhesion layers 103 a and 103 b or non-conductive adhesionlayers. Moreover, the semiconductor chips 201 and 202 comprise at leastone signal pad 204 and at least one grounding pad 206, respectively,wherein the grounding pads 206 may be electrically connected to thegrounding region 10 of the carrier substrate 100 by the interconnectionstructures (not shown) in the semiconductor chips 201 and 202 and theconductive adhesion layers 103 a and 103 b. Alternatively, the groundingpads 206 may be electrically connected to the grounding region 10 by thewiring structures (not shown) outside of the semiconductor chips 201 and202.

A fill material layer 104, such as a dry film, is formed overlying thecarrier substrate 100 and covers the semiconductor chips 201 and 202.The fill material layer 104 has a plurality of openings exposing thesignal pads 204 and grounding pads 206 of the semiconductor chips 201and 202. A redistribution layer 106 is disposed overlying the fillmaterial layer 104 and is electrically connected to the signal pads 204and grounding pads 206 of the semiconductor chips 201 and 202,respectively, through the plurality of openings in the fill materiallayer 104.

A protective layer 108, such as a solder mask, covers the fill materiallayer 104 and the redistribution layer 106. The protective layer 108 hasa plurality of openings exposing portions of the underlyingredistribution layer 106 corresponding thereto. A plurality ofconductive bumps 110 is correspondingly disposed on the plurality ofopenings in the protective layer 108 so as to be electrically connectedto the corresponding redistribution layer 106.

Referring to FIG. 2, which illustrates another exemplary embodiment of achip package according to the invention. Elements in FIG. 2 that are thesame as those in FIG. 1 are labeled with the same reference numbers asin FIG. 1 and are not described again for brevity. In particular, in theembodiment, the grounding pads 206 are electrically connected to thegrounding region 10 by the conductive plugs 208 formed in thesemiconductor chips 201 and 202 and the conductive adhesion layers 103 aand 103 b. The sidewalls of conductive plugs 208 typically haveinsulating spacers 207 comprising, for example, silicon oxide, thereon,such that the conductive plugs 208 are insulated from the substratematerial. Moreover, the conductive plugs 208 may be formed byconventional through silicon via (TSV) technology.

Referring to FIG. 3, which illustrates further another exemplaryembodiment of a chip package according to the invention. Elements inFIG. 3 that are the same as those in FIG. 2 are labeled with the samereference numbers as in FIG. 2 and are not described again for brevity.In the embodiment, the carrier substrate 100 does not have any dopingregion. The grounding region 10 of the carrier substrate 100 comprises ametal layer 102, such as a layer comprising aluminum, copper, or analloy thereof, thereby providing heat dissipation for the semiconductorchips 201 and 202. Moreover, the grounding pads 206 of the semiconductorchips 201 and 202 are also connected to the grounding region 10 by theconductive plugs 208 and the conductive adhesion layers 103 a and 103 b.

Referring to FIG. 4, which illustrates further another exemplaryembodiment of a chip package according to the invention. Elements inFIG. 4 that are the same as those in FIG. 2 are labeled with the samereference numbers as in FIG. 2 and are not described again for brevity.In the embodiment, the carrier substrate 100 does not have any dopingregion. The grounding region 10 of the carrier substrate 100 comprises aconductive adhesion layer 103 to attach the semiconductor chips 201 and202 onto the carrier substrate 100.

Referring to FIG. 5, which illustrates further another exemplaryembodiment of a chip package according to the invention. Elements inFIG. 5 that are the same as those in FIG. 2 are labeled with the samereference numbers as in FIG. 2 and are not described again for brevity.In the embodiment, the carrier substrate 100 does not have any dopingregion. The carrier substrate 100 comprises a silicon substrate having adielectric layer on the surface thereof and overlying grounding andsignal regions 10 and 20, wherein the grounding region 10 is formed of ametal layer 102 a and the signal region 20 is formed of a metal layer102 b. The metal layer 102 a may also provide heat dissipation for thesemiconductor chips 201 and 202. In one embodiment, the metal layers 102a and 102 b are formed of the same metal layer.

The grounding region 10 and the signal region 20 are respectively andelectrically connected to the grounding pads 206 and the signal pads 204of the semiconductor chips 201 and 202. In particular, in theembodiment, the fill material layer 104 has a plurality of openings 104a exposing the metal layer 102 b. Moreover, a redistribution layer 106extends inside the plurality of openings 104 a of the fill materiallayer 104, such that the signal pads 204 are electrically connected tothe signal region 20 by the redistribution layer 106.

Referring to FIG. 6, which illustrates further another exemplaryembodiment of a chip package according to the invention. Elements inFIG. 6 that are the same as those in FIG. 5 are labeled with the samereference numbers as in FIG. 5 and are not described again for brevity.In particular, in the embodiment, the fill material layer 104 has anopening 104 a exposing the metal layer 102 b and an opening 104 bexposing the metal layer 102 a. Moreover, two redistribution layers 106a and 106 b respectively extend inside the openings 104 a and 104 b ofthe fill material layer 104, such that the signal pads 204 areelectrically connected to the signal region 20 by the redistributionlayer 106 a, and the grounding pads 206 are electrically connected tothe grounding region 10 by the redistribution layer 106 b. Since thegrounding pads 206 are not electrically connected to the groundingregion 10 by the conductive plugs (e.g. the conductive plugs 208 shownin FIG. 5), the semiconductor chips 201 and 202 can be attached onto thecarrier substrate 100 by the conductive adhesion layers ornon-conductive adhesion layers 103 c and 103 d. However, note that inorder to simplify the diagram, only the signal pad 204 of thesemiconductor chip 201 electrically connected to the signal region 20 bythe redistribution layer 106 a and the grounding pad 206 of thesemiconductor chip 202 electrically connected to the grounding region 10by the redistribution layer 106 b are depicted.

Referring to FIGS. 7A to 7D, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment ofa method for fabricating chip package according to the invention. InFIG. 7A, a carrier substrate 100, such as a raw silicon wafer or othersemiconductor substrates without circuits, is provided. The carriersubstrate 100 has a plurality of chip regions (not shown) tocorrespondingly place at least two semiconductor chips in each chipregion. In order to simplify the diagram, only a single chip region isdepicted. The carrier substrate 100 comprises a grounding region 10. Inthe embodiment, the carrier substrate 100 is a silicon substrate and thegrounding region 10 is a doping region formed therein and formed by ionimplantation, such that the doping region extends to a surface of thesilicon substrate. In one embodiment, the doping region may extend toentire silicon substrate. In another embodiment, the carrier substrate100 does not have any doping region, but has a metal layer, such asaluminum, copper, or an alloy thereof, serving as the grounding region10 (e.g. the metal layer 102 shown in FIG. 3) of the carrier substrate100.

Referring to FIG. 7B, at least two semiconductor chips 201 and 202 areprovided. Each semiconductor chip comprises at least one signal pad 204,at least one grounding pad 206, and an underlying conductive plug 208correspondingly connected to the grounding pad 206, wherein thesidewalls of the conductive plugs 208 have an insulating spacer 207,such as a silicon oxide spacer, such that the conductive plugs 208 areinsulated from the substrate materials of the semiconductor chips 201and 202. Next, the semiconductor chips 201 and 202 are attached onto thecarrier substrate 100 by conductive adhesion layers 103 a and 103 b,such as silver paste or solder, such that the grounding pads 206 areelectrically connected to the grounding region 10 by the conductiveplugs 208 and the conductive adhesion layers 103 a and 103 b. In anotherembodiment, the carrier substrate 100 does not have any doping region,and the semiconductor chips 201 and 202 are attached onto the carriersubstrate 100 by a conductive adhesion layer (e.g. the conductiveadhesion layer 103 shown in FIG. 4) that serves as the grounding region10 of the carrier substrate 100, such that the grounding pads 206 areelectrically connected to the grounding region 10 by the conductiveplugs 208.

Referring to FIG. 7C, a fill material layer 104, such as a dry film, isformed overlying the carrier substrate 100 to cover the semiconductorchips 201 and 202. Next, a plurality of openings exposing the signal andgrounding pads 204 and 206 of the semiconductor chips 201 and 202 areformed in the fill material layer 104 by conventional lithography andetching processes. Next, a redistribution layer 106 is formed overlyingthe fill material layer 104 and is electrically connected to the exposedsignal and grounding pads 204 and 206 through the plurality of openingsin the fill material layer 104. The redistribution layer 106 may beformed of aluminum, copper, or other wiring materials well known in theart and formed by conventional deposition methods, such as chemicalvapor deposition, physical vapor deposition or plating.

Referring to FIG. 7D, the fill material layer 104 is covered with aprotective layer 108, such as a solder mask. Next, a plurality ofopenings is formed in the protective layer 108 by conventionallithography and etching processes to expose the underlying portions ofthe redistribution layer 106 corresponding thereto. Next, a plurality ofconductive bumps 110 is correspondingly formed in the plurality ofopenings in the protective layer 108, such that the plurality ofconductive bumps 110 is electrically connected to the semiconductorchips 201 and 202 through the redistribution layer 106. In oneembodiment, under bump metallization (UBM) layers (not shown) may beformed on the exposed portions of the redistribution layer 106 prior toformation of the plurality of conductive bumps 110.

The carrier substrate 100 may be polished to a desired thickness andthen the carrier substrate 100 and the overlying fill material andprotective layers 104 and 108 are diced to form individual chippackages, as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 8A to 8D, which illustrate another exemplaryembodiment of a method for fabricating chip package according to theinvention. Elements in FIGS. 8A to 8D that are the same as those inFIGS. 7A and 7D are labeled with the same reference numbers as in FIGS.7A and 7D and are not described again for brevity. In FIG. 8A, a carriersubstrate 100 without any doping regions therein is provided. In theembodiment, the carrier substrate 100 comprises a silicon substratehaving a dielectric layer 101 on a surface thereof and overlyinggrounding and signal regions 10 and 20, wherein the grounding region 10is formed of a metal layer 102 a and the signal region 20 is formed of ametal layer 102 b. In one embodiment, the metal layers 102 a and 102 bare formed of the same metal layer.

Referring to FIG. 8B, at least two semiconductor chips 201 and 202 areprovided and then respectively attached onto the grounding region 10(i.e. the metal layer 102 a) of the carrier substrate 100 by theconductive adhesion layers 103 a and 103 b, such that the grounding pads206 are electrically connected to the grounding region 10 by conductiveplugs 208 and conductive adhesion layers 103 a and 103 b, wherein themetal layer 102 a may also provide heat dissipation for thesemiconductor chips 201 and 202.

Referring to FIG. 8C, a fill material layer 104 is formed overlying thecarrier substrate 100 and covers the semiconductor chips 201 and 202.Next, a plurality of openings is formed in the fill material layer 104by conventional lithography and etching processes to expose the signaland grounding pads 204 and 206 of the semiconductor chips 201 and 202.At the same time, a plurality of openings 104 a is formed in the fillmaterial layer 104 above the signal region 20 (i.e. the metal layer 102b) to expose the metal layer 102 b. Next, a redistribution layer 106 isformed overlying the fill material layer 104 and is electricallyconnected to the exposed signal and grounding pads 204 and 206 and themetal layer 102 b through the pluralities of openings in the fillmaterial layer 104.

In another embodiment, the semiconductor chips 201 and 202 do not haveconductive plugs therein. Namely, the grounding pads 206 are notelectrically connected to the grounding region 10 by the conductiveplugs (e.g. the conductive plugs 208 shown in FIG. 5) and thus thesemiconductor chips 201 and 201 may be attached onto the carriersubstrate 100 by the conductive adhesion layer or non-conductiveadhesion layer (e.g. the non-conductive adhesion layers 103 c and 103 dshown in FIG. 6). In particular, in this case, a plurality of openings(e.g. the openings 104 b shown in FIG. 6) is formed in the fill materiallayer 104 above the grounding region 10 (e.g. the metal layer 102 ashown in FIG. 6) when the plurality of openings 104 a is being formed,thereby exposing the grounding region 10. Moreover, two redistributionlayers (e.g. the redistribution layers 106 a and 106 b shown in FIG. 6)are respectively formed in the openings that expose the grounding andsignal regions 10 and 20, such that the grounding and signal pads 206and 206 are electrically connected to the grounding and signal regions10 and 20, respectively, by the redistribution layers.

Referring to FIG. 8D, the fill material layer 104 and the redistributionlayer 106 are covered with a protective layer 108, such as a soldermask. Next, a plurality of openings is formed in the protective layer108 to expose the underlying portions of the redistribution layer 106corresponding thereto. Next, a plurality of conductive bumps 110 iscorrespondingly formed in the plurality of openings in the protectivelayer 108, such that the plurality of conductive bumps 110 iselectrically connected to the semiconductor chips 201 and 202 by theredistribution layer 106.

Thereafter, the carrier substrate 100 may be polished to a desiredthickness and then the carrier substrate 100 and the overlying fillmaterial and protective layers 104 and 108 are diced to form individualchip packages, as shown in FIG. 5.

According to the aforementioned embodiments, since the grounding regionand or the signal region between the carrier substrate and thesemiconductor chip can serve as a redistribution layer for the groundingpad and/or the signal pad of the semiconductor chip, the number of theconductive bumps required for the electronic device package can bereduced, thereby meeting multiple chips package trends and requirementsand reducing the difficulty for the semiconductor packaging process.Moreover, the carrier substrate having a grounding region formed ofmetal or silicon may also provide heat dissipation for the semiconductorchips.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms ofpreferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover variousmodifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to thoseskilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims shouldbe accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all suchmodifications and similar arrangements.

1. A chip package, comprising: a carrier substrate comprising agrounding region; at least two semiconductor chips disposed overlyingthe grounding region of the carrier substrate, wherein eachsemiconductor chip comprises at least one signal pad and comprises atleast one grounding pad electrically connected to the grounding region;a fill material layer formed overlying the carrier substrate andcovering the semiconductor chips; a protective layer covering the fillmaterial layer; and a plurality of conductive bumps disposed overlyingthe protective layer and electrically connected to the semiconductorchips.
 2. The chip package of claim 1, wherein the carrier substrate isa silicon substrate and the grounding region is a doping region formedtherein and extended to a surface of the silicon substrate.
 3. The chippackage of claim 1, wherein the grounding region comprises a conductiveadhesion layer, such that the semiconductor chips are attached onto thecarrier substrate.
 4. The chip package of claim 1, wherein the groundingregion comprises a metal layer.
 5. The chip package of claim 4, whereinthe carrier substrate is a silicon substrate having a dielectric layerthereon, and the metal layer is on the dielectric layer.
 6. The chippackage of claim 1, further comprises a redistribution layer disposed inthe fill material layer for electrical connection between the groundingregion and the grounding pad of each semiconductor chip.
 7. The chippackage of claim 1, wherein the carrier substrate further comprises asignal region electrically connected to the signal pad.
 8. The chippackage of claim 7, wherein the grounding region and the signal regionare formed of the same metal layer.
 9. The chip package of claim 7,further comprises two redistribution layers disposed in the fillmaterial layer for electrical connection between the grounding regionand the grounding pad of each semiconductor chip and for electricalconnection between the signal region and the signal pad of at least oneof the semiconductor chips, respectively.
 10. The chip package of claim1, further comprises a redistribution layer disposed between the fillmaterial layer and the protective layer for electrical connectionbetween the signal pad of each semiconductor chip and a correspondingconductive bump.